Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-25
GOOD WRITING PAPER.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS
PROCESSES OF MANUFACTURE.

PROCESSES or MANUFACT
Cutting the Rags into Pieces-Gn the
Cleansing Observation-Disclosures of the
Rag, to PuIp--EiucinG, Sizing and
Caicndering.
The materials for good writing paper are
cotton aud linen rags of domestic gathering,
supplemented by importations The rags
come 10 the lnili in bales and are assorted in
several GRADES and then cut into pieces by
hand Tie cutting Is done by girls and
women, sitting in front of n bench, to which
is fixed q short blade ike a small scythe
blade. The rags, picked up by the handful,
are drawn across the keen edge with great
rapidly, the operator occasionally using a
sandstone rife just as the mower does, so that
the dusty room resembles, to the ear, field
Of busy mowers. At a second sorting all the
buttons, pms, hooks and eyes and harsh
seams are removed. The rags then go to g.
buster, large cylinder Of woven wire, in
side of which is = shaft carrying a number Of
blades Of plate iron set in 2 spiral form on
the shaft and revolving at rate Of speed
higher taG t!iat of the oater cylinder. This
difference of speed, with the spiral setting
of the blades inSures a constant stirring up
of the rag, and their gradual progress from
one end tatle other Of the cylinder, and their
final discharge at the open end.
The busted rags then go into a rotary
boiler made of boiler iron or steel, revolving
on Journals, one of which is hollow and adj
mits steam at a pressure Of from forty to
sixty pounds To the square inch, correspond
ing according TO Regnault'S tables to heat
of from 2g3 to BIS degrees Fahrenheit. With
the rags is introduced a certain quantity Of
lime water IL assist in the cleaning the OBJ
lect being to start the color as well as the
dirt; for white writing paper is made from
colored rags Is wen as from white rags: only
the finest note and letter paper being made
from clear white rags. These rotating boil
ers are of a capacity Of a charge of rags
weighing from / 600 pounds upward. The
boiler is usually rotated liz means OF worm
wheel on its solid journal and worm screw,
and ii is charged though a manhole that
when in place is securely packed.
IL THE CLEANSING TANK.
From this boiler the rags pass to a cleans
ing engine which is a tank Of oval plan, the
walls Of which rise about thirty inches from
the floor. The tank is partially divided lon
gitudinaly by straight portion, the ends of
the partition reaching toward the walls of
the tank far enough to leave a space of the
same width as that between the partitions
sides and the tanks walls On one side of
this partition, across the center Of the tank,
revolves a tOothed drum. carrying blades that
act ca the rags as they pass in the trough be-
tween fixed blades at the bottom OF the tank
These blades do not cut the rags, but tear
them, thus preserving the fiber. The clean
ing of the rags IN the process Of tearing is
facilitated by a constant stream of water
On the side opposite from the heater is a ro-
tary sieve of fine mesh that allows the water
TO pass bay re ects the rags. The water thus
lifted passes Off through the hollow shaft of
the revolving sieve. This, with the action Of
the blaGed drum, induces and keeps up a cur
rent around and around :he tank This en-
CINE not only cleanscs the rags, but reduces
them TO semi-pulpy mass known as half
stuff" which, although clean. is not purely
white. II is bleachsd with chloride of lime
and again passes through an engine when the
bleached material, i'll heaps, resembles solid
snow. After this comes the bluoing if the
paper is Ia have tint. although what Is
called white paper is slightly blue.l
The pulp is pumped into an elevated tank,
from which it is fed to tho engine by a deliv-
cry gate capable Of close adjustment rs upon
the amount Of pulp fed 10 the machine de
ponds the ultimate weight OF the paper The
pulp flows on 80 the face OF roller and is
passs>i To an endless apron OF fine wire sieve
that has impaired to it a j.rring motion, to
discharge, much possible. the water,
while the sieve retains the almost impnlpable
pulp. a set of rolls congresses the pulp
web. which then goes over series Of boxes
perforated on the side over which the web
passes. the boxes being exhausted OF ar ty
fan as the web moves. This vithdraws the
surplus water that has not been removed hv
the sieve and rollers.
SIZING AND CALENDERlNG.
Tho sheet, having acquired considerable
teuacity. is dried by passing between rollers
heated by steam Then comes the sizing.
without which the closest teztUred napier
would not receive ink and not spread blot
The size is the common glue Of commerce.
made from raw!ide Of cattle, but it j, can
ployed hot and quits tain. ! second partial
drying, elcjDg OF The continuous web ID 40
tary shears. and 4 cutting ccross into shoCiS,
completes HE operations q turning liquid
milky pulp into elastic, eCa,iUuots sh-y,~ o.
q substance almost iaiprrmeahie 80 ar.
From tile machine the So cts s:ll Gamr
from the sizing. ar removed 80 lryiE., ioiez.
and are dried H. san and outer cir il pleasant
weather. and by str.,Ia Ec,J in iBcleneu,
weather They are then Subjected - the
action Or hydraulic presses. They are then
calendeyed by means II a luachilc OF rolls, .
three Of chilled iron sud two OF paper. Tho
paper rolls are formed OF disks o. thin
maaiila paper. cut il presses 10 diameter, .
with holes through their ceGt5rs for sle re-
ception OF the shaft. These are pressed in .
place by a hydraulic machine and tarnei
like tho iron rolls. The surface OF the turned .
paper rolls ara remarkably smooth
The sheets, after ironing in tic calender .
machine. are cut in reaI,s Isy = hrife similar
III form ari acton 70 that OF the French
guiilotiue. Tho sheets are then sorted and
counted. tha somewhat defective ones gong .
10 an inferior grade Of paper The compauys
stamp Is embossed on each sheet under Il
press.
Ruled paper has its lines made il 4 machine
that is essentially self-actiuG. The ink is
more fluid than that used for writing The
ruling pens arc Of sheet brass and are semi
cylindrical tubes fed from whole tube. TO
which the ink rises from a trough by mears
Of wicks, rs OIL III an ordinary lamp. TIE
packing il boxes supplements all this work.
and the sheets are ready Cor the market
Boston Budget.